Reacher’s second season has ended, but fans know the story isn’t stopping here. Before the Season 2 premiere last month, Amazon reassured fans by announcing that Reacher had been renewed for Season 3. Season 3 is in production, so the wait for new episodes shouldn’t be too long.

Since its groundbreaking first installment, Killing Floor, the saga of Reacher has expanded to nearly 30 novels, and with the blockbuster success of the Tom Cruise films and Amazon’s riveting TV series, he has amassed a fervent following like never before.

1. Which book will Reacher Season 3 be based on?

The inspiration for Reacher Season 3 hasn’t been announced yet, but the Season 2 finale dropped some significant clues about which book’s story will be coming to the screen. The only problem is that those hints lead to two books: TripWire and 61 Hours.

I. Tripwire

Tripwire, the third book in Child’s acclaimed series, quickly became a fan favorite. Unlike previous installments where protagonist Jack Reacher would randomly appear in a new town, he starts living in Key West this time. By day, Reacher digs pools; he works security at a club by night until an unexpected visitor seeks him out.

Tripwire checks both boxes that Ritchson’s hints provided, so it’s absolutely on the table. The finale drops the biggest clue of all, though.

As the season ends, Reacher makes a daring decision, using the stolen funds from New Age to bring some measure of justice and closure to those affected by Project Little Wing.

For Milena, who had a profound bond with Orozco and Sanchez through her previous job at a local bar, her life is forever changed in the finale’s final moments.

Embraced by her coworkers and settling into a sleek new car, she playfully discusses future travel plans and promises to keep in touch. They joke about visiting and sending postcards before she calls back to her pals, “Key West or bust!’

Milena doesn’t have solid ties to Reacher, and her moving to Key West doesn’t mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of Reacher’s journey, but it does feel like an obvious hint from the writing team about the future of the show on TV.

Besides, putting someone like Milena in Key West would give Reacher a connection when he gets there, which could help explain his getting set up with a couple of different odd jobs.

Alan Ritchson in Reacher | Source: IMDb

II. 61 Hours

Another fan-favorite Reacher novel that couldn’t be more different from Tripwire, 61 Hours, is also at the top of potential stories for Reacher Season 3. This time, it’s all about the ending of Season 2.

61 Hours begins with Reacher riding through South Dakota on a bus with strangers. The bus crashes during a wild snowstorm and kicks off a chain of events involving a loose killer and protecting an important witness.

As Reacher Season 2 comes to a close, the enigmatic protagonist finds himself boarding a bus, destination unknown. Engaged in conversation with a stranger about his travels, Reacher’s bus ride becomes a pivotal moment in the season’s finale.

Unlike his usual solo bus rides across the country, new faces surround Reacher this time. It’s a subtle nod from the writers, leaving viewers intrigued about the future rather than setting up the following season.

Both books would provide Ritchson’s character with fresh environments and challenges, ensuring the show remains dynamic in its third installment.

2. Other Potential Lee Child Books for Reacher Season 3

I. Personal

A clever decision was likely made by the creators of Amazon’s show when they included an Easter egg nod to Lee Child’s One Shot, famously adapted for the Tom Cruise-starring Jack Reacher movie- in season 2. 

This choice ultimately means that the show will avoid covering the book, a wise move given the inevitable comparisons between Cruise’s controversial portrayal and Ritchson’s interpretation of Reacher.

However, the show can still draw inspiration from One Shot for its unique version, as the 19th book Personal explores similar territory.

Personal involves Reacher going on a globe-hopping mission to stop a sniper from assassinating the President of France; the same sniper has a vendetta against Reacher, too.

Adapting Personal would give season 3 a broader scope, as it takes Reacher out of America and sends him to France and London.

II. Die Trying 

Die Trying is one of Ritchson’s favorite Reacher books and the second novel in Child’s series.

As the story unfolds, we find Reacher assisting a woman with her laundry, only to be kidnapped and thrown into a van for mysterious purposes. What began as a seemingly mundane task quickly escalates into a gripping tale.

Die Trying may have begun on a smaller scale but soon expanded into a captivating narrative. This novel marks a pivotal point in Child’s writing as he hones in on the winning formula for his series and further develops the iconic character of Jack Reacher, endearing him to readers worldwide.

III. Worth Dying For 

Amazon’s Reacher has yet to encounter any truly unforgettable villains. Kliner (played by Chris Webster) in season 1 (based on Killing Floor) and Robert Patrick’s Langston in season 2 were effectively menacing. Still, they were also one-dimensional and lacked any real depth.

Josh Blacker, Alan Ritchson, and Serinda Swan in Reacher | Source: IMDb

Reacher season 3 must strive to remedy this issue, and Worth Dying For presents the perfect opportunity. Set in Nebraska, Worth Dying For sees Jack crossing paths with the savage Duncan family as he uncovers their disturbing web of criminal activities, making him their sworn enemy.

The Duncans are considered some of the best foes Reacher has faced while stranding him in rural Nebraska with no backup and few places to hide. 

Christopher McQuarrie wanted to adapt Worth Dying For for Jack Reacher 2, feeling the sequel should be more intense and R-rated.

That plan didn’t work out, but Worth Dying For is still one of the darkest, most intense tales from Child’s series and would give Reacher himself a genuine challenge to overcome.

Reacher season 2 adapted Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th novel in the series. This confirmed Amazon’s show wouldn’t be tackling Child’s novels in order, making it tricky to predict which book the forthcoming Reacher season 3 will adapt.

According to star Alan Ritchson, the third series will cover one of his favorite stories from Child’s books. The next series will almost certainly back away from pulling the titular avenger into the story due to personal reasons, like the death of a loved one, as the first two outings have.

3. About Reacher

Developed by Nick Santora, Amazon Prime’s Reacher is an American action crime streaming television series based on the books of Lee Child.

Starring Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher the show revolves around a murder investigation in the small town of Margrave, Georgia.

When Jack Reacher is arrested for a murder he did not commit, he finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy full of dirty cops, shady businessmen, and scheming politicians. He needs to figure out what’s happening using his wits and escape out of this embroilment.

The show has been renewed for a second season and will premiere on December 14, 2023.